ABSTRACT
The condom has been and will remain the major technology to limit sexual transmission of HIV in the foreseeable future, and thus issues related to its acceptance and use are a priority. Since the isolation of HIV, the establishment of its primary modes of transmission, and the development of HIV/AIDS prevention programs, hundreds of studies have been undertaken on the male condom. Factors associated with the use of condoms do not apply universally across cultures or populations. A variety of issues influence acceptability, frequency and consistency of use among the study populations defined as ‘at risk’, although the conceptualisation and operational definitions of risk and the definition of the populations are themselves often problematic. Most condom-use studies are quantitative and use standardised structured or semi-structured questionnaires to generate quantifiable data. Instruments may be self-administered, administered by an interviewer face-to-face or by telephone, conducted as a mail survey or through computer-assisted technology.
